1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control system and method for switching lamps and, more particularly, to a control system and method for wirelessly switching lamps over short distances.
2. Description of the Related Art
Metropolitan areas are full of high-rise buildings. Lighting is basic equipment required for each office of the buildings. Because users of offices may not be familiar with locations of lamp switches, seeking the lamp switches in the dark is often a challenge. Moreover, when users do not switch off the lights when they leave, electrical energy is wasted, resulting in a higher operation cost. Thus the problems persist resulting from inconvenience caused by manual switching operation of the lights and the energy waste caused by inadvertently leaving the lights.
The disclosure of Taiwan Patent No. 1487303 entitled “Wireless smart energy conservation two-wire lamp control switch device” (hereinafter “the conventional lamp control switch”) introduces a smart wireless peripheral lighting control device for a digital home automation system, which is installed at a single gang wall switch box in a traditional two-wire manner for replacing a traditional manually controlled lamp control switch to three sets of lamp control switches. The conventional lamp control switch internally has a human motion infrared sensor, a visible light illumination sensor, a touch panel, a loading current detector, an environment temperature sensor, and a digital radio transceiving module for receiving commands of remote wireless controller, wireless broadband internet control host or mobile network control host to carry out remote switch lamp control of the lamp set loading. Also, switching lamp control can be carried out at by proximal human motion infrared sensing or touch control to replace traditional ways of mechanical switching.
Such switching motion sensors partially address problems of inconvenience and energy waste resulting from traditional manually-switched lamp control. Unfortunately, however, although the conventional lamp control switch provides multiple sensors in place of manual lamp switch operation, problems and drawbacks emanating from such sensor lamp limitations, are susceptible to environmental factors, and easily trigger false detection persist. Moreover, despite the remote control used in the conventional lamp control switch, manually pressing the buttons of the remote control still relies on users' proactive behavior, such that the energy waste caused by unintentionally leaving the lights continues. Moreover, sensor switched lamps exhibit the additional drawback of false detection of the sensors.